»Dance Performance and Choreography Opportunities

For Dance majors at Chapman, performance and choreography are key. Getting experience in both will help you hone your craft as a dancer and develop the skills to succeed in nearly any professional area.

That’s why we make sure all our Dance BA and BFA students have plenty of opportunities to perform and choreograph.

As a Dance student at Chapman, you will have the chance to perform starting your first semester on campus. In your second year and beyond, you’ll have the chance to choreograph.

Your first dance performance class (DANC 113)

The first performance class you will take at Chapman is DANC 113: Dance Performance.

This class:

• Introduces you to the fundamentals of professional dance performance.
• Is where you will meet faculty members who will work with you throughout your time as a dance student at Chapman.
• Culminates in a performance showcase called “New Collaborations,” a show that you will put on alongside your professors.

Chapman Dance Alliance (and other student organizations)

Chapman Dance Alliance (CDA) is the largest student-run dance organization on campus. All Chapman Dance majors and minors are automatically members, with no audition required. You can check out some of their club activities and performances on the Chapman Dance Alliance Instagram.

Through CDA, you will have the chance to join a performance piece that includes all first-year Dance majors.

There are also plenty of other student-led dance clubs on campus, so we encourage you to explore your options and join the ones that interest you. Just keep in mind that many of these clubs require an audition.

 

 

Choreography opportunities in your second year and beyond

Starting your second year at Chapman, you will have the opportunity to choreograph. Unlike other schools, we guarantee choreography opportunities for all sophomore dance majors.

Your choreography experience begins in a series of choreo-focused classes starting your second year.

At Chapman we produce 80–90 pieces of student choreography each spring semester. This means that the work you do in your choreography classes has a good chance of being performed.

Choreograph in clubs

All dance clubs at Chapman produce pieces of student choreography. Joining any dance club on campus is a great way to expose yourself to choreography and have the chance to start choreographing yourself.

In Chapman Dance Alliance, our all-inclusive dance club, BAs, BFAs, and minors all have the opportunity to submit choreography proposals to be performed in the annual CDA show if chosen.

 

Performing and choreographing beyond campus

Your faculty members, peers and Chapman’s alumni network can connect you with opportunities:

• Off campus.
• Out of state.
• And even abroad.

We work with you to find opportunities and align them with your academic schedule.

 

 

 

Facilities and venues

As a Dance BA at Chapman, you will have access to all our dance facilities and venues from your first year.

Sandi Simon Center for Dance

The Sandi Simon Center for Dance is Chapman’s state-of-the-art facility for dancers on campus. It includes:

• Five dance studios, including a performance studio.
• Rehearsal studios.
• A dedicated health clinic and training studio.
• A student lounge.
• Classrooms.

Musco Center for the Arts

Since its opening in 2016, The Musco Center for the Arts has been recognized as one of the premier performing arts spaces nationwide. Covering 88,000 square feet, it is the largest performing arts space on the Chapman campus.

Throughout your time at Chapman, you will have the opportunity to perform alongside your professors, peers, and renowned guest artists in this space featuring:

• Modern architectural design by renowned architects Pfeiffer Partners.
• Acoustics by world‑renowned Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics.

• 1,044 seats on three levels.
• A full-scale stagehouse with a unique orchestral shell.

You can check out the Musco Center yourself from wherever you are, and explore the rest of our campus virtually, on this guided 360-degree tour.

Start my tour

 

 

Memorial Hall

Constructed in 1921, this on-campus performance space is included in the National Registry of Historic Places. Many of our student-led dance clubs have shows and performances in Memorial Hall.